The following are the oaths of the London Goldsmiths Company as required to be sworn in 1835.
The Oath of all the Goldsmiths when they are made Free.
YOU shall swear that you shall be faithful and true to our Sovereign Lord the King; and true gold and silver without deceit you shall work, and do to be wrought, so that the gold and silver that you shall work or cause to be wrought be as good as one of the standards appointed for wrought plate ; and you shall set no glasses, nor counterfeit stones in gold, nor work latten nor copper, whereby the King's pepple might be deceived; nor no deceit know to be done in any thing that belongeth to the craft of Goldsmiths, but that you anon warn the Wardens for the amendments of the same; and all the good ordinances of the same craft you shall keep ; and as a true honest man you shall behave you to the Wardens and all the Fellowship; and you shall come and be obedient to the Wardens when you be summoned, without you have reasonable excuse; and the quarterage, yearly, with all other charges that you be set to as other of the craft do, you shall pay and bear.
So help you God.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Oath taken by every person admitted to the Freedom of the Goldsmiths' Company of London.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Oath of the Wardens.
YE shall swear that ye shall be faithful and true to our Sovereign Lord the King; and true assay ye shall make or do to be made of gold and silver; and nothing of gold and silver, ye shall touch or do to be touched, but it be good and lawful, sparing no man for favour or love, nor no man grieve for hate. And the good ordinances of the craft ye shall keep and maintain to your power, and well and honestly entreat your Fellowship ; and ye shall justly and indifferently order the causes of your Company according to right and conscience, and no singular profit to your own persons do nor take, where through the coming profit of your Company shall or may be hurled or damaged, nor any man receive or admit into the Company without their assent.
So God you help.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Oath taken by the Wardens of the Goldsmiths' Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Oath of the Clerk.
YE shall swear that ye shall be faithful and true to the King our Sovereign Lord, and that ye shall be good and true to the Company, and good and true council give to the things touching the needs of the Company, after your cunning and power, and readily ye shall come to the summons when you are warned, if you have not reasonable excusation ; and the secrets and privities of the said craft and of the Company, not being hurtful or prejudice to the King or his subjects, nor hurtful to the common weal, ye shall not discover; and truly enter all things that are to be entered touching the Company and the profit of the Company, ye shall lawfully do inasmuch as ye may do; and ye shall not deliver, nor consent or cause to be delivered, any copies of any evidences, writings or other escripts, touching the same occupation, without the consents of Wardens of the same occupation, for corporate for the time being.
So help you god.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Oath taken by the Clerk of the Goldsmiths' Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Oath of the Accountant for the Duty Money.
I do swear that I will be faithful and true allegiance bear to our Sovereign Lord the King ; and that I will truly and honestly demean myself as Accountant of or for the duty on gold and silver plate at the Assay Office at Goldsmiths' Hall, London, and faithfully and diligently discharge the duties of the place or office of Accountant of or for the said duty, to the best and utmost of my skill and ability ; and that I will truly and correctly enter the Minutes of all the proceedings of the Duty Committee and Court of Assistants, relating to the said place or office, and faithfully enter and keep the Cash-Account, and in like manner enter and keep, or cause to be entered and kept all the other Accounts of or relating to the said place or office; and duly receive, account for and pay all monies which shall come to my hands or power, in or by virtue of my said place or office, in such manner as I shall from time to time be directed by the Wardens for the time being of the Company of Goldsmiths of London, or the Court of Assistants or Duty Committee of the said Company. And that I will not divulge, discover, disclose or make known by writing, conversation or otherwise, to any person or persons whomsoever, any matter or thing of or concerning my said place or office, or of or concerning the Assay Office, or other the business or concerns of the said Company in anywise howsoever, which may come to my knowledge by or through, or by reason or means of my being Accountant as aforesaid.
So help me God.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Oath taken by the Accountant of the Duty Money of the Goldsmiths' Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Oath of the Beadle.
YE shall swear that ye shall be faithful and true to the King our Sovereign Lord ; and that ye shall be true and obedient to your Wardens and the Company ; and ye shall do all such lawful things as ye shall be commanded to do by the Wardens for the needs of the Company, and the lawful secrets of the Wardens and Company ye shall not discover ; and if ye know anything hurtful or prejudicial to the Company, ye shall anon thereof give warning to the Wardens : also, ye shall make search quarterly or oftener as ye shall be commanded by the Wardens, of all apprentices unadmitted, foreigners, goldsmiths, English or aliens, and after knowledge of them had, ye shall incontinent the names of them and their masters present to the Wardens ; also, ye shall inquire what persons occupy the craft of Goldsmiths not sworn, and the names of them ye shall present to the Wardens ; and the quarterage of the Fellowship ye shall truly endeavour you to gather, and thereof true accounts make and yield, and all goods of the Company coming to your hands ye shall truly keep and deliver to the Wardens.
So help you God.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Oath taken by the Beadle of the Goldsmiths' Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Drawer's Oath.
I, , Citizen and Goldsmith of London, do swear, That I will be true and faithful to our Sovereign Lord the King; and will truly and honestly demean myself as a Drawer of Gold and Silver Plate brought to the Assay Office at Goldsmiths' Hall, London ; and at all times carefully draw or cut and mark all such plate as I shall be required according to the best of my knowledge and ability, without showing any favour or affection, hatred or evil will to any man; and I will carefully examine all such plate as I shall draw or cut in order to discover if the same be charged with any unnecessary solder, or whether the same be forward enough in the workmanship thereof or not, and if all the pieces be affixed together that are intended to be affixed together, and if the same be marked by the owner or maker thereof, and of every default found will give notice to the Wardens or Deputy Wardens, so that proper remedy may be ordained ; and I will no avail or profit to myself take to the hurt or prejudice of anv man.
So help me God.
Sworn, by repeating the words of the Oath, this day.. of.. at the Public Office, Southampton Buildings, before me,
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Oath taken by the Drawers of the Goldsmiths' Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Oath of the Assayers.
YE shall swear that ye shall be faithful and true to our Sovereign Lord the King, and true ye shall be in the offices of Assayers for the Craft of Goldsmiths; and ye shall true assays make of all such gold and silver as shall be brought to you to assay, and none avail to yourselves take to the hurting of any person that is owner or bringer in of any gold or silver to be assayed; and ye shall no gold nor silver admit to be touched under the goodness ordained by Acts of Parliament; also such stuff as ye shall receive of gold and silver ye shall safely keep and truly remember it in writing; and at all times when ye shall be required, duly and truly deliver again, and true accounts make thereof without favour, affection, hate or evil will showing to any party ; and if any person of the said Craft would imagine or practice any untruth to deceive the Wardens or you, ye shall anon give knowledge to the Wardens thereof, so that they may ordain remedy for the same as the case shall require; also ye shall none assay make upon things new wrought before it be marked with the mark of the owner or maker thereof; and moreover in all other things that ye shall deal or do for the Fellowship and every Member thereof concerning your offices, ye shall do it justly and truly to your power without any deceit.
So help you God.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Oath taken by the Assayers of the Goldsmiths'Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Weigher's Oath.
I, Citizen and Goldsmith of London, do swear, That I will be true and faithful to our Sovereign Lord the King, and will truly and honestly demean myself as a Weigher in the Assay Office at Goldsmiths' Hall, London, according to the best of my knowledge and ability, without showing any favour or affection, hatred or evil will, to any man; and I will take in all gold or silver work brought to the said office to be assayed, together with all such notes or memorandums thereof as shall be brought therewith, and will carefully weigh all such gold work and silver plate into and out of the said office, and duly enter the same, and make true delivery to the owners of such wares or their servants; and I will carefully tell the number of each species of gold and silver work, and duly file the said notes or memorandums ; and I will no avail or profit to myself take to the hurt or prejudice of any man ; and I will carefully examine all such plate, in order to discover if the same be charged with unnecessary solder, or whether the same be forward enough in the workmanship thereof or not; and if all the pieces be affixed together that are intended to be affixed together, and if the same be marked by the maker or owner thereof, and of every default found will give notice to the Wardens or Deputy Warden, so that proper remedy may be ordained, and will true accounts make and enter of all money that shall come to my hands, and duly answer for the same, and also of all bye assays that shall come to my hands, privity, or knowledge.
So help me God.
Sworn, by repeating the very words of the Oath, this day.. of.. at the Public Office, Southampton Buildings.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Oath taken by the Weighers of the Goldsmiths'Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Oath of the Engraver of the Punches.
I do swear, That I will be faithful and true allegiance bear to our Sovereign Lord the King; and that I will be obedient to the Wardens for the time being of the Goldsmiths' Company of London, in all things relating to the place or office of Engraver or Cutter of the Punches for the marking of Gold and Silver Plate at the Assay Office in London; and that I will duly and carefully make and deliver unto the said Wardens, or unto whom they shall appoint, all such and so many punches, and of such sorts or kinds, for the use of their Assay Office, as I shall from time to time be ordered or directed to make or deliver; and that I will not use, make or deliver, or cause or knowingly permit or suffer to be used, made or delivered, by or to or for any person or persons whomsoever, other than the said Wardens or whom they shall appoint, any punches of the sorts or kinds used or to be used at the said Assay Office, or any punches or dies similar thereto, whereby the marks impressed, stricken, of put, or to be impressed, stricken, or put upon gold or silver plate at the said Assay Office may be impressed, stricken, put, counterfeited, or resembled by any person or persons whomsoever, other than the officers or persons employed or authorized by the said Wardens at the said Assay Office, excepting only such punches of the King's head or duty mark as I may be directed by the Commissioners of the Stamps to deliver to them for the use of the other Assay Offices; and that I will attend the said Wardens, and truly and faithfully serve and assist them with my advice and opinion in all things relating to my said place or office, to the best of my judgment and ability, whenever required so to do; and that I will not any avail or profit to myself take, whereby His Majesty or the Goldsmiths' Company may have or receive any any hurt, loss or damage by or through my means; but that I will truly, faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties of my said place or office to the best of my skill, judgment and ability, without favour or anection, hatred or ill-will to any man.
So help me God.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Oath taken by the Engraver of the Punches to the Goldsmiths' Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
The Oath of the Deputy Touch Warden.
I,..Citizen and Goldsmith of London, do swear, That I will be true and faithful to our Sovereign Lord the King, and will truly and honestly demean myself as Deputy Warden in the Assay Office at Goldsmiths' Hall, London, according to the best of my knowledge and ability, without showing any favour or affection, hatred or evil will to any man; and I will true assays make, or cause to be made, of all such gold and silver wares as shall be brought to the Assay Office to be assayed ; and I will not touch or mark, or suffer to be touched or marked, any gold or silver, knowing the same to be under the respective goodnesses ordained by Acts of Parliament, or charged with unnecessary solder, nor before the same be marked with the known mark of the maker or owner thereof; and that I will no avail or profit to myself take to the hurt or prejudice of any man.
So help me God.
Sworn, by repeating the very words of the Oath, this day..of.. at the Public Office, Southampton Buildings.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Oath taken by the Deputy Touch Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company.
John Lane, Clerk.
Trev.
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